Erin Brockovich heading to Stockton

By Jeannette McMahon (online producer)

When the toxic leak from the Orica plant on Kooragang Island was identified as hexavalent chromium, many people recalled the name from the Julia Roberts film that made Erin Brockovich famous. Now the high-profile environmental campaigner has not only informed herself about the details of the Stockton incident, but hopes to visit the area soon.

It was 21 years ago that Erin Brockovich started her work in the Californian town of Hinkley, which ended in a payout of over $330million.

The residents had suffered terrible health effects from water contaminated with hexavalent chromium over many years.

On the phone from the United States, Erin told 1233's Jill Emberson she believes she has something to offer the people of Stockton.

"Whether it's some semblance of comfort or reassurance or motivation for them to keep digging for the truth, ways to possibly protect themselves, questions to ask so they can get answers that they need, that's what I would offer the community," she says.

"Anything that I can do to help keep them together as a community to seek out information, so they can find out what may or may not have really gone on out there.

"A lot of times information is hidden from us and in the absence of that this community will be left vulnerable, and health concerns may arise from it and they won't know how to deal with it.

"More often than not, my experience is that there can be a release or an accident and for one reason or another somebody in the company, out of fear that they might lose their job, that something was defective that they didn't catch it, they just seem to shut up.

"But somebody in there always knows something."

Erin says a couple of whistle-blowers have already come forward who are beginning to shed light on what might have really happened at Stockton.

"I mean, you can call me jaded but out of the gate I'm really suspicious because already there's conflicting messages," she says.

Erin asks if there's no risk to residents' health as Orica has claimed, why is the company hosing off every visible trace of yellow chromate powder?

"The people weren't informed in time, too much time went by," she says.

"Children were unknowingly exposed, potentially for days.

"These concerns can be alleviated if somebody will get out there and tell these people exactly, to their face, what the hell just happened.

"If that community is suddenly experiencing any kind of health effect, whether it be a rash or nosebleed or simple problems that you tend to pass off, that company and your agencies need to pay attention and listen to them.

"Because they're the ones that have been exposed, that may be being exposed to low levels of hexavalent chromium, that if it's not cleaned up over time will be a problem to these people.

"I don't want us to be alarmist but something did happen, we need to find out the information, and we need to push for that information and keep pushing until we get it.

"Because this is the only way that we will be able to safeguard and protect our families."

There are plans to include Erin in an upcoming community forum on the Stockton leak via satellite, and she hopes to visit the seaside Newcastle suburb within the next couple of months.

ABC Newcastle contacted Orica and they have declined to respond to Ms Brockovich's comments.